Vacuum cleaning apparatus.



Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. J. & D. M. WINANS.

VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1912.

WITNESS? T. J. & D. M. WINANS.

VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1912.

1,078,651. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTUR STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TTIOMAS J. WIHANS AND DANIEL 'M. 'WIiNANSgOF IBIINGHAMTON', NEW YORK, ASSIGN- ORS'TO 'THE WIN-ANS MACHINE COMPANY, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, A COR- 7 *PORATION OF NEW YORK.

VACUUM CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented N mar. 18, 1913.

Application filed July 5, 1912. Serial No. 707,665.

the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaning apparatus wherein is employed a motor, an exhauster driven .by the motor and a dustcollector connected to the exhaustei' and adapted to have dust-laden air drawn through it by the exhauster so that the dust will be collected in a suitable receiver.

The invention is directed to the provision of an improved form of vacuum cleaning apparatus which is reliable and in operation, which can 'be conveniently mani )ulated and which may be manufacture at comparatively low cost. s

"The invention is of particular utility in vacuum cleaning apparatus adapted to be stationarilym-ounted in a building.

The features of the invention may be employed in portable apparatus if desired.

In accordance with the invention, the ap'- paratus comprises a platform, a motor and an .exhauster mounted thereon, a collector mounted on the platform over an opening therein and connected to the exhauster and a dust-receiver detachably held a ainst the underside of the platform dire'oty ,under said opening. The lower end of the collector is open so that dust collected therein will drop through the .openin in the platform into the receiver and wi-lTcollect there. The collector preferably "consists 'of 9. cy-

lindrical can open at itslower end andhavingsaid end secured upon the platform and provided at its upper end with a connection leading to the exhauster; within this can is a cylindrical strainer made of fabric, open at its lower end and having its upper end connected'to a cap which cap has a tubular" extension projecting through the connection to the can. This tubular extension carries the dust-laden air to. the interior of the strainer and can and means are provided whereby it may be drawn upwardly'so as to draw the fabric strainer taut. The receiver is preferably a can. or bucket and is supported by a spring upwardly so that it is held yieldingly up against the 5 5 under side of the platform in line with the opening in theplatform and the lower end of the strainer. This dust-receiver may be readily withdrawn when desired through the provision of a lever for depressing" the receiver against the tension of itsj'supporting spring. VVhen this has been done the recelvenm'ay be readily taken out, emptied and returned to its former position.

The preferred embodiment of the inven- 66 tion is illustrated in drawings in whichv Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation of the machine, Fig. 2 is a sectional, elevation of the accompanying the lower portion of the machine at right 70 angles to the view shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views hereinafter referred to.

Referring to these drawings, the platform of the machine is shown at 6; it is suitably supported above the floor by legs 7,. three such legs beingemployed in the present in stance. Mounted on the platform 6 is a motor 8 connected bya belt 9 to an ex hauster 10. The collector is connected to the exhauster 10 by a pipe 11; this collector is mounted upon the platform 6 preferably between the motor and exhauster. Its construction will now be described.

The collector consists of a can 12 of drawn sheet-metal having its lower end open andprovided with a flange 13, which flange is secured. to the platform 6. The upper end of the can 12 is dome-shaped and partially, 4 closed. In the opening at the upper end of the can 12 is fitted a tubular member 14. This member 14 has flanges at its sides WhlCll are riveted or screwed to 'the can 12, as

shown in Fig. 3. The end of pipe 11 enters an o ening 1n tubular member 14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that this pipe communlcates with the interior of the tubular member and the interior of can 12. Opposite to this end of pipe 11 a safety-valve is provided in the tubular member 14. An o'pening 15 is provided through the wall of the tubular member 14which opening is adapted to' beclosed by a safety-valve 16. The stem 17 of this valve is pivotally connected to a member 18 which is ivotal ly connected at 1-9 to the tubular mem er 14. -The member. 18 is pro{ vided with a weight 20 which may be slid 25 is provided within tubular member 14;

along to any one of a plurality of positions and held in that position by a pin 21 passing through suitable openings. A pin 22 is fixed inthe wall of the tubular member 14 directly below thevalve-member 16; the inner end of .this pin serves as aguide for the valvemember 16 when the latter is moved in response to excessive suction and the outer end of pin 22 enters a slot in the member 18 so as to guide the latter in its movement Within the can 12 is a strainer 23 of cylindrical form andv made of a textile fabric. The lower end of this strainer is secured to the can;12 or the platform 6 and its upper end is secured .to a metallic cap 24. A ring the can 12 near the lower end thereof so as to serve as a spacer for spacing the strainer away from the wall of the can. The lower end of the strainer 23 is secured to the can 12 by a ring 26 which passes within the can and grips the strainer between it and the can. The cap 24 is preferably made fr'omdrawn sheet-metal and is of dome-shape with a tubular extension at its upper end. The upper end of the strainer 23 is secured to the cap 24 by means of a metallic ring 27. The tubular extension 28 of the cap 24 projects upwardly through the tubular member 14, its exterior diameter be ing less than the interior diameter of the member 14 so that space is provided between these two parts below the end of pipe 11. A

nut 29 is threaded upon the upper end of ex- I the upper end of the a tension" 28 and engages by tightening the nut 29 the extension 28 can be drawn upwardly within the tubular member 14 so as to draw the strainer 23 taut. A pipe 30 for carrying the dust-laden air extends within the'tubular extension 28;;a cap 31 may be provided on pipe 30 adapted to be tightened upon the upper threaded end of the extension 28 so as to compress a gasket between these two parts and thus preclude the entrance of air around pipe 30;

It will be seen that thestrainer 23 is open at its lower end and that an opening is provided in the platform directly under this opening in the strainer. A dust-receiver is removably supported directly-below the open lower end of the strainer so as therein and a sheet-metal bail 33 has its ends secured to this flange so that the bail depends from the platform.- vided with slots or ways in which the upper ends of the bail 33 are received so that the inner surfaces of the upper ends of the bail 33 lie 'flush with the inner surface of the flange 32. This construction is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. 'Also, the upper ends of the bail 33 are beveled'off on their inner sides as shown at 34 in Fig. 5. The flange 32 on the platform is correspondingly beveled as of a gasket 36 made 0 strainer 23,

to receive the dust. The platform 6 is provided with a flange 32 around the opening relieve the abnormal conditions. "er

The flange 32 is preferably pro shown at 35. This manner of shaping the flange 32 and the upper ends of the bail 33 provides a pocket or space for the reception rubber or other suitable material. The dust-receiver 37 when in its normal position, is yieldingly pressed upwardly with its edge against the gasket 36. This receiver is supported upon a disk 38 carried by a spring-actuated plunger 39 the lower end of which is connected by a pin 40 to a lever 41 which is pivotally connected at one end to one of the legs 7 of the support, as shown in Fig. 2. A spring 42 is coiled about the plunger 39 and lies within a tube 43 mounted upon aboard 44 which is supported by the bail 33 and one of the legs 7. On this board is a stop 45 for positioning the receiver 37.

With the apparatus constructed as thus described the operation is as follows: The motor 8 drives the exhauster 10 which draws air through the pipe 30, extension 28, can 12, tubular member 14 and the air through an expipe 11, exhausting the air passes through haust pipe 46. As this course, the

dust is separated from it by the strainer 23 and this dust drops downwardly through the open end of the strainer and into the receiver 37. After 'the operation has continued for a substantial period, the operator presses lever 41 with his foot and thus lowers the plunger 39iagainst the tension of spring 42 until receiver 37 is lowered upon the upper surface of the board 44. The operator may then readily reach under the edge of the platform 6," grasp the edge of the receiver 37 and remove the receiver so as to empty. it. This having been done, the receiver is moved back upon the surface of board 44 until it engages the stop 45 whereupon the lever 41 is allowed to move upwardly raising the plunger 39 and carrying the receiver 37 upwardly until its edge is again pressed in engagement with gasket 36. If at any time the strainer became so clogged that air'would not pass freely and the suction of the exhauster became excessive, the valve 16 would move inwardly so as to permit the entrance of outsidea ir into the tubularemember 14 and thus The danofthe strainer becoming clogged is greatly decreased taut at all times. This can bereadily done for by turning the nut 29 the extension 28 of cap 24 can be raised within the tubularmember 14.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vacuum'cleaning apparatus comprising a support having an opening therein, a collector mounted on the support over said opening, a bail secured to the underside of the support and depending therefrom, a

through it by keeping the strainer spring supported by the bail, a receiver pressed upwardly by. the spring against the under side of the support in alinement with said opening, and means for depressing the receiver against the tension of the spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, a support having an opening therein, a collector mounted on the support over said opening, a bail depending from the support below the collector, a tube carried by the bail, a plunger entering the tube, a receiver supported on the upper end of the plunger, a spring in the tube acting on the plunger to raise the same and thus hold the recelver against the under side of the support under said opening therein, and a lever connected to the plunger for depressing the same, substantially as set forth.

3. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, a support, a cylindrical can mounted over an opening therein, a tubular member at the upper end of the can and communicating therewith, an outlet pipe connected to said member, a cylindrical strainer made of fabric mounted within the can, open at its lower end and having its lower end secured to the can, a metallic cap within the can to which the upper end of the strainer is secured, a tubular extension on said cap extending upwardly through said member and spaced from the interior wall of the member below said pipe, an inlet pipe connected to said tubular extension, and a receiver mounted below the support in alinement with said opening, substantially as set forth.

4:. Ina vacuum cleaning apparatus, a support, a cylindrical can mounted over an opening therein a tubular member at the upper end of the can and communicating therewith, a pipe leading to said member, a cylindrical strainer made of fabric mounted within the can, open at its lower end and having its lower end secured to the can, a metallic cap within the can to which the upper end of the strainer is secured, a tubular extension on said cap of less exterior diameter than the interior diameter of said tubular member and extending upwardly through said member, a nut on said extension engaging said member, and a dust-receiver mounted below the support in alinement with said opening, substantially as set forth.

5. In a vacuum cleaning apparatus, a support, a cylindrical can mounted over an opening therein, a tubular member at the upper end of the can and communicating therewith, an outlet pipe connected to said member, a cylindrical strainer made of fabric mounted within the can, open at its lower end and having its lower end secured to the can, a metallic cap within the can to which the upper end of the strainer is secured, a tubular extension on said cap extendmg upwardly through said member and spaced from the walls of the member below said pipe, an inlet pipe connected to said tubu- THOMAS J. WINANS. DANIEL M. WINANS.

Witnesses:

N. A. Born, B. M. STANNARD. 

